Manchester United are looking at the possibility of using Nani as a makeweight in their bid to bring in long-term target James Rodriguez from FC Porto.
Nani was the catalyst to Manchester United's victory over Reading in the F.A. Cup, but has hardly seen any playing time this season, albeit primarily because of injury.
The Portuguese winger though played no part in the mega Champions League clash against Real Madrid, and did not even find a place for himself on the bench despite being fit enough.
Talks over a new contract stalled in the summer, which led to several clubs being linked with a move for the 26-year-old. Zenit St. Petersburg reportedly agreed a fee with United, but the move did not go through because of Nani's wage demands.
Sir Alex Ferguson has always said he wants to keep Nani at Old Trafford, however, the signing of Wilfried Zaha has cast further doubt on the winger's future.
Even though United might have sealed the signature of the Crystal Palace winger, Ferguson is still interested in bringing in Rodriguez. United would have brought him to Old Trafford last summer, but were put off by Porto's demands of a £38 million ($59 million) fee.
However, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, United are back in for Rodriguez and want to use Nani as a part of the deal.
Nani's current contract expires in 2014 and that will considerably bring down his value in the transfer market, but United are confident Porto will be open to taking the Portuguese for their Colombian winger.
However, it still remains to be seen once a deal is agreed, if Nani can come to terms with Porto over wages. Juventus, Roma and Inter Milan are also reportedly interested in the United man and could yet make a move for him in the summer.
Manchester United already have Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia, who has been underwhelming to say the least this season, and with Zaha also set to arrive at Old Trafford at the beginning of next season, it remains to be seen whether United will make a serious move, although Rodriguez is also capable of playing down the middle.
Talks over such a move have been reported before, and Rodriguez, who has been in decent form for Porto this season, will definitely be a great addition to any squad. If Nani can be used as bait for Porto, it will be seen as a major coup, as long as United do not have to pay over the odds.
